Tag: 30 Random Facts About Me

Hi my lovelies, I still need to get my sh*t together for a proper beauty post and I’ve been finding it seriously hard to take photos of products while juggling a rolling baby who constantly gets stuck on his tum or an awkward corner of his play area. Sooooooo instead I thought I would plunge into this personal post that I was tagged by the lovely Liz at Beauty Reductionista — I enjoyed reading her list so much and will valiantly try to come up with thoughtful points myself.

This tag post lets you get to know me better, but funnily enough has me getting to know myself better too as I rummage around my memory for some random facts.

#1 I’m the second/middle child and caused my mother’s labour pains to quicken so fast that my father slammed the accelerator to the floor to get her to the hospital. Apparently, he got fined for speeding and the parentals have always taken that as a sign I would be trouble. Yes, I certainly live up to being a dark horse (pun intended as I was born in the year of the Horse) as all middle children do. I was a very bored teenager and finally “rebelled” by picking up smoking which leads me to my next random fact…

#2 For a large chunk of my late teens till my late 20s, I did not care about my health. I partied and smoked like a chimney – people who know me now would not believe that was me. But I believe you need to sink to the lowest levels in order to climb up and I quit smoking cold turkey at age 29 and started living on a raw food diet.

#3 Do you think I’m mad yet? Well, I became a vegetarian for three years until I encountered some fertility issues (PCOS, I’m looking at you). My fluctuating insulin levels (made worse by eating too much fruit and carbs, I believe) were affecting my fertility which I believe prevented me from getting pregnant so I ate a steak with black pepper sauce in Cologne, Germany on a rainy autumn afternoon while the husband was at a work conference. There was a bit of blood on the plate which freaked me out but I went back to eating meat without a glitch. It was like learning to ride a bicycle — you never quite forget.

#4 Anyway, dabbling in all things natural and organic has left me with an obsession with natural and organic skincare. I’ll love to try the highly intriguing New Zealand brand, Antipodes, which Essiebutton talks about alot and I love her (don’t you?)!

#5 I used to dislike children and would be afraid when I encountered crying babies — I even thought for awhile I would never have my own children. But now the story has completely flipped because I love my little koala bear to bits and have opened up to talking and playing with other people’s kids and babies.

#6 I used to be a magazine journalist before I moved to Tokyo eight years ago. There were many highs but many lows as well. I was a “relationship writer” at a women’s monthly and then an assistant editor for advertorials at an entertainment weekly. I wrote articles that ranged from single mothers to pole dancing, but my most embarrassing work to date has to be a toss up between a bust enhancement ad or the SDU monthly.

#8 When I was a kid, I would only wear white T-shirts at home, so much so that my mother only ever bought me white T-shirts well into adulthood.

#9 My love for beauty products began when I first started earning my own salary — I would hit up Watson’s, a Singaporean drugstore, to browse and haul at the start of every month.

#10 I broke my foot soon after I started dating the husband almost 11 years ago. We would have dates with my huge cast over my leg hobbling around on crutches but we would still go out loads and make out at restaurants late into the night.

#11 I love waffles but only ever eat them when I use my own waffle maker (which is also a snazzy hot sandwich press) and never at a cafe.

#12 I loved taking on part-time jobs and summer stints when I was at university. I was a waitress at an Italian restaurant, a telemarketer, a transcriber (which is listening to a tape recording and typing the content out – it’s much harder than it seems), an admin clerk, a relief teacher at a secondary school (or high school) and a backstage helper for a travelling educational play.

#13 I’m a voracious consumer of TV shows, especially historical dramas. I’m just about done with The White Queen and am a huge fan of Downton Abbey. And vampire shows are kind of an obsession — from the Vampire Diaries to Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers is one hot blood sucker).

#14 I don’t like hard candy or chewing gum, particularly the after taste. It really helped when I had braces as a teen.

#15 I am a homebody to the core. Big crowds, huge parties, networking events all drain me eventually so being home alone doing my thing is my sanctuary.

#16 I like drinking water – lots of it. Sometimes the husband would hassle me to stop drinking so much water if we’re on a bus or train that has no bathroom. TMI?

#17 I don’t tolerate insincerity and flaky folks.

#18 I once was a friend’s “bitch” (or sidekick or wing woman) and she treated me very badly — made me feel powerless and weak. After three years of feeling trapped, I stopped returning her calls or emails and it taught me a hard lesson about toxic friends.

#19 I love at-home barbecues. It’s such a suburban thing but I revel the smell of sizzling chicken wings and big slabs of steak. When we got our own bbq grill, we would fire it up every Sunday till the weather got too cold. I can’t wait for warmer weather and start our bbq habit again.

#20 I’m not a morning person but I would like to be one very badly. Over the years, I’ve tried different ways and means to rise before dawn to get all sorts of stuff done before breakfast, but in reality, I am like a polar bear who loves to sleep in. With a baby now, I rise at 5-530am daily but I walk around like a zombie for two hours before my humanity kicks in.

#21 I’m both a hoarder and thrower. I’ll stock up on all kinds of household necessities so I won’t have to keep buying the same things again and again, but I hate clutter and would clear out my wardrobe and cupboards of anything that is expired or mouldy or useless.

#22 Hugh Jackman and Justin Timberlake are hawt in my world.

#23 I have a strange fascination for women in the corporate world. I wonder how they do it all – it must be because I’ve not worked in a corporate environment in years and years and wonder if I missed out by working at home.

#24 I’m really painfully shy at heart and hate going to events without knowing anyone. I’ve learned a few tricks to socialize and circulate like a regular human being but I still hate it.

#25 I’ve been blogging for 10 years now and sometimes forget that there are still many people out there who don’t have a clue what it means to have an online social life. I knew a fellow expat who couldn’t get over the fact that I’ve met a few people through my blog and have remained friends. She called them “fans” and I thought it was mean and ignorant on her part. Well, she wouldn’t be reading this now, would she?

#26 I find some cliches to be so true, e.g. a few good friends are better than a whole bunch of superficial ones; you really need to remind yourself to wake up and smell the roses once in a while; a hot bath soothes the day’s troubles; you should never go to sleep without making up right after a fight; bacon does make everything taste better; wearing all black makes you look slimmer.

#27 I have run many half-marathons but making it through a full one is definitely on my bucket list.

#28 I’m considering becoming a pug breeder as my next career in my twilight years – like seriously. Australia will always be an end point for me and I’ve been wondering what I would do there. My husband’s family used to breed scottish terriers professionally and the incredible tales of their scottie dogs giving birth to armies of little puppies in a barnyard have been etched in my heart and mind.

#29 I’ll always have a bit of a belly for two reasons: carbs and more carbs. I’m clearly addicted to carbs (see point #7). Oh and giving birth.

#30 I don’t have very good taste in music although I spent four years studying classical music as an academic subject in high school. I think I got an A at the ‘O’ Levels. My husband cringes at my iTunes purchases – from Lady Gaga to Kanye West to Britney Spears.

@Lily: Haha I think it’s an Asian thing – loving noodles and I would still choose this over rice! Re corporate world: that’s so true but I really admire women who can navigate that mindfield and come out alive and successful.

Whoa, this is fun to read! What I find the most remarkable is that you met your husband 11 years ago! That means he went through part of your crazy partying/smoking years as well as the raw diet ones! That’s a lot of changes to go through with a partner!

I actually think the MAJORITY of the bloggers are shy. It doesn’t surprise me, as outgoing people are probably busy pursuing a busy social life, and chances of them keeping a blog going are low. I’ve been to many blogger events here, and sometimes I can’t tell if someone just doesn’t like me or is too shy! I tell myself they’re too shy though :p

Things in common: #20, 24, 26! I was a shy child and it never quite went away, no matter how hard I worked at it. Now I just embrace the awkward. I figure the extroverts exist to balance out us intros!

I would never have pegged you for a hard core partier but we all have skeletons… And I adore your little koala! I’ve actually mentioned your preggo journey a lot to my sister because some of the stuff you guys went through were so bang on similar. Sometimes if I’m over at her place and you put up an Instagram pic, I’d show it to her and we coo at your baby together.

My first internship was actually in the corporate world in Asia and it was very different from any job/internship I’ve had since. Not sure if I could keep that up full time but I definitely have huge respect for anyone that does! And LOL ain’t nothing wrong with Britney or Kanye, love em both.

@Sunny: Haha…yes indeed, my husband went through all these different phases in my life but he was def the bigger party animal when we first met. I suppose it all was fine with him because he’s quite open minded and patient. Plus, he believed the raw food diet was just a phase and he was right actually. I’ve never been to a blogger event so I’m intrigued by what you said. I think it makes sense that bloggers are more expressive with words and are not as gregarious in person.

@Liz: It was so much fun writing this up and an interesting personal exercise. I’m so not into clubbing or music festivals anymore – that was a past life haha…. Now our weekend fun involves watching TV on a laptop (with the sound on low – sleeping baby) plus delivery pizza and bedtime by 10-11pm. LOL.

It was such a nice coincidence that your sister and I got pregnant/gave birth around the same time. Your nephew is such a cutie and I always look forward to pix of him on your Instagram

@Makeup Morsels: Thanks for reading this super long post I think people in Asia tend to work too hard…take for example my sister – she works till midnight from mon to fri and sometimes on the weekend. I wouldn’t be able to do that either. Hats off to those who can. I need my sleep haha :p

I love love love this post! And yes I feel like I know you better now. I can’t believe you used to be a smoker, you are so wholesome and healthy now! Then again, I used to smoke too, big time!! And party lots!! How things have changed huh?!

I used to hit up Watson’s too. OMG it was my favourite thing to do, browsing the beauty aisles and reading all the labels and applying testers to the back of my hand.

@trishie: Glad you enjoyed reading this post I cannot believe I used to enjoy smoking and partying – truly a past life and things I don’t believe in now. Now I can’t believe you did too!!!!! HAHA! We have grown up, that’s for sure. Btw, my gfs call him “Huge Jackson” :p~

@Jenni: Having a partner who wants to have a kid with me made me change my mind. Kids are no walk in the park but with the support of a partner eager to experience parenthood together, it feels possible. I think we are both ultimately family-oriented so while career and exploring what life has to offer are important and interesting, at the end of the day, expanding our family to more than just two of us seemed a natural step as well.